Editing Internet café (section)

{{Short description|Café or other similar setting that provides public Internet access}}
{{Redirect|Net cafe|the television series of the same name|Net Cafe (TV series) }}
{{Update|date=November 2024|reason=Decline of internet cafes in the developed world, replacement with gaming cafes, especially prevalent in Asia. Also requires reliable non-social media and sources besides Namuwiki}}
[[File:Internet cafe golden princess.jpg|thumb|right|240px|Internet café and library on the [[Pacific Adventure|''Golden Princess'']] cruise ship (2011)]]
[[File:Internetcafe and sub post office in Germany.jpg|thumb|240px|Combination Internet café and [[Deutsche Bundespost|sub post office]] in [[Münster]], Germany]]

An '''Internet café''', also known as a '''cybercafé''', is a [[Coffeehouse|café]] (or a [[convenience store]] or a fully dedicated [[Internet access]] business) that provides the use of computers with high bandwidth [[Internet]] access on the payment of a fee. Usage is generally charged by the minute or part of hour. An Internet café will generally also offer refreshments or other services such as phone repair. Internet cafés are often hosted within a shop or other establishment. They are located worldwide, and many people use them when traveling to access [[webmail]] and [[instant messaging]] services to keep in touch with family and friends.  Apart from travelers, in many developing countries Internet cafés are the primary form of Internet access for citizens as a shared-access model is more affordable than personal ownership of equipment and/or software. Internet cafés are a natural evolution of the traditional [[café]]. As Internet access rose many pubs, bars, and cafés added terminals and eventually [[Wi-Fi hotspot]]s, eroding the distinction between the Internet café and normal cafés. In recent years, traditional internet cafés have experienced a significant decline in developed countries due to the widespread availability of personal internet access devices.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Times |first=G. B. |date=2024-09-20 |title=Are Internet cafes still a thing? |url=https://gbtimes.com/are-internet-cafes-still-a-thing/ |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=GB Times |language=en-US}}{{Unreliable source?|date=April 2025}}</ref> Conversely, in regions like Southeast Asia, internet cafés have evolved into esports cafés, serving as community hubs for gamers and training grounds for professional players.